Heirloom grains of Asia: how these ancient staples made their way to modern tables
2. Red cargo rice (Thailand)
A long-grain unpolished rice, red cargo rice retains its bran layer, giving it a reddish tint and a nutty, hearty flavour. Traditionally eaten with grilled meats or spicy coconut soups, it was once considered 'poor man's rice' but has seen a wellness-driven renaissance.
Bangkok's organic cafés and macrobiotic eateries now serve red cargo rice as a wholesome base for vegetarian dishes, Buddha bowls, grilled chicken plates and other menu items. Some home chefs in Thailand and abroad have also steadily added red cargo rice into their repertoires. 3. Glutinous purple rice (Laos and Northern Thailand)
Central to Laotian meals for centuries, glutinous purple rice is sticky, slightly sweet and visually striking. Traditionally eaten with grilled meats and jeow (spicy dipping sauces), it's steamed in bamboo baskets and eaten by hand. Its colour comes from anthocyanins, the same antioxidant pigments found in berries. 4. Bario rice (Malaysia)
From the highlands of Sarawak comes Bario rice, a hand-harvested, small-batch grain cultivated by the Kelabit people for over a century. Known for its delicate aroma, fluffy texture and short growing season, Bario rice is a prized ingredient during communal celebrations and longhouse feasts.
Restaurants like Dewakan in Kuala Lumpur highlight Bario rice to champion indigenous Malaysian ingredients. Its rarity and flavour have earned it recognition among Southeast Asian food circles, with online speciality shops now offering it as a premium, artisanal rice. 5. Adlai (Philippines)
Also known as Job's Tears, adlai has been cultivated by Lumad communities in Mindanao for generations as both a staple grain and a symbol of resilience. Its chewy texture and slightly nutty flavour make it an excellent rice substitute. Traditionally used in porridges and stews, it's now making appearances in high-end restaurants.
Filipino chefs like Claude Tayag and the late Margarita Forés and restaurants like Hapag have elevated adlai to gourmet status, using it in everything from risotto and paella to grain salads. Urban restaurants in Metro Manila often market it as a 'luxury local grain', emphasising its low glycemic index and high protein content. Health influencers in Asia and Australia have caught on, touting it as a sustainable alternative to imported carbs.
See more: What to eat: 7 Filipino rice dishes and snacks we're craving right now 6. Forbidden rice (China)
Once reserved exclusively for Chinese emperors, this ancient black rice earned its 'forbidden' moniker due to its historical exclusivity. With a history dating back over a thousand years, it was prized for its supposed longevity-boosting properties. Rich in anthocyanins and iron, its mildly sweet, nutty flavour works in both savoury and dessert dishes. In China, it's often prepared as congee or sweet zhou, while internationally, it stars in black rice pudding, grain bowls and even fine-dining duck pairings. Wellness brands across Asia market it as a supergrain, alongside acai and chia. 7. Black heirloom rice (Philippines)
Cultivated by indigenous communities in the Cordillera mountains for generations, the Philippines' black heirloom rice stands out with its deep purple colour and glutinous texture. Traditionally, it's steamed and served with native chicken or pork during tribal feasts, a symbol of prosperity and communal pride. Its use in Filipino cuisine spans from champorado (chocolate rice porridge) to gourmet takes on suman (rice cakes).
Chef Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery in Manila has spotlighted black rice in his menus, using it to underscore Filipino terroir and storytelling through food. Other restaurants that have integrated it into their menus include Purple Yam and Hapag. Filipino diaspora bakeries abroad now bake black rice sourdough, while some Manila restaurants experiment with black rice risotto and grain bowls.
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Tatler Asia
2 days ago
- Tatler Asia
Heirloom grains of Asia: how these ancient staples made their way to modern tables
2. Red cargo rice (Thailand) A long-grain unpolished rice, red cargo rice retains its bran layer, giving it a reddish tint and a nutty, hearty flavour. Traditionally eaten with grilled meats or spicy coconut soups, it was once considered 'poor man's rice' but has seen a wellness-driven renaissance. Bangkok's organic cafés and macrobiotic eateries now serve red cargo rice as a wholesome base for vegetarian dishes, Buddha bowls, grilled chicken plates and other menu items. Some home chefs in Thailand and abroad have also steadily added red cargo rice into their repertoires. 3. Glutinous purple rice (Laos and Northern Thailand) Central to Laotian meals for centuries, glutinous purple rice is sticky, slightly sweet and visually striking. Traditionally eaten with grilled meats and jeow (spicy dipping sauces), it's steamed in bamboo baskets and eaten by hand. Its colour comes from anthocyanins, the same antioxidant pigments found in berries. 4. Bario rice (Malaysia) From the highlands of Sarawak comes Bario rice, a hand-harvested, small-batch grain cultivated by the Kelabit people for over a century. Known for its delicate aroma, fluffy texture and short growing season, Bario rice is a prized ingredient during communal celebrations and longhouse feasts. Restaurants like Dewakan in Kuala Lumpur highlight Bario rice to champion indigenous Malaysian ingredients. Its rarity and flavour have earned it recognition among Southeast Asian food circles, with online speciality shops now offering it as a premium, artisanal rice. 5. Adlai (Philippines) Also known as Job's Tears, adlai has been cultivated by Lumad communities in Mindanao for generations as both a staple grain and a symbol of resilience. Its chewy texture and slightly nutty flavour make it an excellent rice substitute. Traditionally used in porridges and stews, it's now making appearances in high-end restaurants. Filipino chefs like Claude Tayag and the late Margarita Forés and restaurants like Hapag have elevated adlai to gourmet status, using it in everything from risotto and paella to grain salads. Urban restaurants in Metro Manila often market it as a 'luxury local grain', emphasising its low glycemic index and high protein content. Health influencers in Asia and Australia have caught on, touting it as a sustainable alternative to imported carbs. See more: What to eat: 7 Filipino rice dishes and snacks we're craving right now 6. Forbidden rice (China) Once reserved exclusively for Chinese emperors, this ancient black rice earned its 'forbidden' moniker due to its historical exclusivity. With a history dating back over a thousand years, it was prized for its supposed longevity-boosting properties. Rich in anthocyanins and iron, its mildly sweet, nutty flavour works in both savoury and dessert dishes. In China, it's often prepared as congee or sweet zhou, while internationally, it stars in black rice pudding, grain bowls and even fine-dining duck pairings. Wellness brands across Asia market it as a supergrain, alongside acai and chia. 7. Black heirloom rice (Philippines) Cultivated by indigenous communities in the Cordillera mountains for generations, the Philippines' black heirloom rice stands out with its deep purple colour and glutinous texture. Traditionally, it's steamed and served with native chicken or pork during tribal feasts, a symbol of prosperity and communal pride. Its use in Filipino cuisine spans from champorado (chocolate rice porridge) to gourmet takes on suman (rice cakes). Chef Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery in Manila has spotlighted black rice in his menus, using it to underscore Filipino terroir and storytelling through food. Other restaurants that have integrated it into their menus include Purple Yam and Hapag. Filipino diaspora bakeries abroad now bake black rice sourdough, while some Manila restaurants experiment with black rice risotto and grain bowls.
Tatler Asia
14-06-2025
- Tatler Asia
Beyond adobo and sinigang: Hapag's Western Mindanao menu uncovers a richer Filipino story
Photo 1 of 6 Photos from Hapag's R&D trip to Basilan (Photo: Miguel Nacianceno; courtesy of Hapag) Photo 2 of 6 Agal-agal Photos from Hapag's R&D trip to Tawi-Tawi (Photo: Miguel Nacianceno; courtesy of Hapag) Photo 3 of 6 Photos from Hapag's R&D trip to Basilan (Photo: Miguel Nacianceno; courtesy of Hapag) Photo 4 of 6 Photos from Hapag's R&D trip to Basilan (Photo: Miguel Nacianceno; courtesy of Hapag) Photo 5 of 6 Satti - Photos from Hapag's R&D trip to Zamboanga (Photo: Miguel Nacianceno; courtesy of Hapag) Photo 6 of 6 Knickerbocker - Photos from Hapag's R&D trip to Zamboanga (Photo: Miguel Nacianceno; courtesy of Hapag) 'The markets were deeply localised,' says Dolatre. 'In Lamitan, Basilan, most goods came directly from the area or nearby Malaysia—no big brands or outside products, aside from maybe candy from Zamboanga. Tawi-Tawi's markets were especially eye-opening during Ramadan. There were stalls selling unexpected dishes like mi goreng with hot dogs and murtabak with Milo. Very Malaysian-inspired. It felt like a different world.' The team approached their challenge with deep respect, understanding that every recipe carries the weight of tradition, that every flavour tells a story about place and people. They recognised that authentic representation meant understanding not just what people eat, but why they eat it and what it means to their identity. This commitment becomes evident in every carefully orchestrated course, each dish functioning as both culinary achievement and respectful cultural translation. Read more: Sustainability and flavour: The rise of fermentation in Asia's top restaurants A menu rooted in memory and discovery Above Tiyula itum, a blackened broth of beef bones, aromatics, and burnt coconut (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) Above Satti: beef tongue, beef rump, chicken isol, and chicken skin (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) The menu began with tiyula itum—a somewhat daunting way to begin the meal, as if staring into a dark abyss. But one sip of the soothing, flavourful elixir washed all worries away. Made with beef bones, burnt coconut and aromatics, the smoky, blackened broth provided a warm welcome to Hapag and set the tone for the meal ahead. Accompanying the dish was a colourful platter of the aromatics infused into the broth: ginger, lemongrass, lasona (native shallots) and most interestingly, galangal and turmeric—ingredients more commonly found in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines. During their time in Zamboanga, the Hapag team learned that satti skewers—closely related to the satay of Indonesia—are most commonly enjoyed as breakfast fare, with shops opening as early as 4 am. Hapag's take on satti was a simple preparation of grilled beef tongue, beef rump, chicken isol (tail) and chicken skin, highlighting the nuances of flavour and texture between each cut of meat, paired with a thick sauce of reduced chicken broth and spices. Related: 11 underrated Asian dishes (and why you should absolutely be eating them) Above Hapag's take on agal agal salad (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) Above A delicious bowl of mee goreng (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) The third course introduced us to a type of seaweed abundant in Basilan and Tawi-Tawi: agal-agal. Commonly served as a salad with soy sauce, calamansi and bubuk (toasted spiced coconut), the crisp, slightly salty seaweed was a favourite among the chefs during their trip. At Hapag, they utilise their housemade two-year-old shoyu and adorn the salad with juicy Aiko tomatoes, sour green mangoes and sharp red onion, plus generous slices of yellowfin tuna kinilaw. Although mee goreng naturally invokes images of Malaysia and Indonesia, the Hapag team soon learned that this tasty noodle dish is also a highly favoured delicacy in Western Mindanao, specifically along Zamboanga's seaside markets. Hapag's mee goreng was a highlight of the menu: firm noodles with a toothsome chew coated in a delectable sauce—umami-rich, slightly sweet and almost caramelised—using Hapag's own kecap manis. Wok-fried oyster mushrooms and a glistening quail egg yolk emphasised its umami and richness, while fried egg whites and dahon ng sili lent textural interest. See also: What makes Iloilo City a food haven? New book by Ige Ramos celebrates Ilonggo gastronomy Above The siyagul and roti martabak, finished at the table with shavings of cheese (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) Above Leche flan palate cleanser (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) While wandering the markets of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, the Hapag team encountered two local delicacies that piqued their interest: siyagul, a seafood stew (traditionally made with stingray, which is illegal to catch or consume in the Philippines) simmered in burnt coconut; and roti martabak or a savoury roti often stuffed with meat. In a brilliant lightbulb moment, the chefs asked, 'What if we put them together?' This unexpected pairing later inspired their fifth course: meaty swordfish cooked in burnt coconut and aromatics, delicately laid upon a flaky roti martabak stuffed with an herbaceous pesto and seared to achieve a crisp, golden exterior, and finished with caviar and a local cheese similar in flavour to a mild parmesan. Have you ever had leche flan as a palate cleanser? In many parts of Western Mindanao, this silky, decadent custard is not enjoyed as a dessert, but rather as a sweet and creamy relief from the rich and spicy flavours that define their cuisine. Hapag pays homage to this custom by serving the flan atop a bed of refreshing calamansi and lemongrass granita, plus pickled scoby, its texture and tang reminiscent of nata de coco. Read more: Where to order the best burgers in Metro Manila Photo 1 of 2 The festive salu-salo, always a highlight when dining at Hapag (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) Photo 2 of 2 The festive salu-salo, always a highlight when dining at Hapag (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) The salu-salo course is a mainstay of Hapag's tasting menus, faithful to the Filipinos' love for family-style meals. There's a palpable excitement that fills the room as Hapag's service team brings out each dish, setting the table with a festive spread, moving in unison like a choreographed dance. This season's salu-salo is a quartet of regional specialities, including the camaron alavar: meaty prawns dipped in a light tempura batter and coated in pinipig, then fried to a crisp, served with alavar (curry) sauce. In the white bowl, beneath a bed of fried leeks and curry leaves lay the riyandang—the Maranao counterpart to the world-famous rendang, made with tender beef short ribs slow-cooked for eight hours in a spiced coconut milk. To cut through the riyandang's richness and spice, the chefs complemented the salu-salo with a bright and punchy pomelo salad with calamansi, ginger and pickled jalapeno, plus cashew for added texture. Of course, no salu-salo is complete without rice. This time around, they look to Basilan for inspiration, serving their interpretation of junay: a rice cake cooked in burnt coconut, turmeric and chicken stock, wrapped in banana leaves and finished at the table with calamansi, crispy shallots and puffed black rice. Read more: A feast for the senses: 9 immersive food museums around the world Above Hapag's playful knickerbocker (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) Above Petit fours inspired by Tausug kakanin (Photo: Dre Ferrer; courtesy of Hapag) For dessert, the chefs take us back to Zamboanga with their light and balanced take on the knickerbocker—a treat playful in both name and form, made here with melon, watermelon, pineapple jelly, pickled longgan, lacto-fermented langka jam, amazake pili nut milk foam and strawberry ice cream. Finally, the petit fours reimagine bang-bang sug, a platter of Tausug kakanin, as chocolate bonbons. There's the explosive putli mandi (palitaw) covered in coconut, the palikambing (banana fritter) with a luxurious smoked banana caramel, the wadjit (coconut sticky rice cake) with biko and latik and the Bbyaki (corn tamales) with corn mousse and juicy corn kernels. Since bang-bang sug is typically enjoyed in coffee houses, they've paired the petit fours with a refined pourover coffee using beans from Miarayon, Bukidnon, sourced from Good Cup Coffee. Their intention to represent Western Mindanao with respect and responsibility extends beyond the dishes in their tasting menu, colouring their beverage programme, too. With respect for Western Mindanao's Muslim heritage, Ganuelas-Recto took the opportunity to curate a non-alcoholic pairing—a first for Hapag. Both their wine and zero-ABV pairings echo the complexity and depth of the tasting menu, leaning on full Champagne rosés, sweeter rieslings and structured expressions of syrah and Left Bank Bordeaux for the wines, while the non-alcoholic pairings build intrigue with fermented probiotic sodas and nuanced alcohol-free wines. 'Western Mindanao's flavours are unapologetically bold, so our pairings had to meet that energy,' explains Ganuelas-Recto. "We leaned into spice, smoke and richness, both in the wines and the fermented beverages, to create harmony with the menu.' Related: It's Gemini season: Five chaotic wine pairings that actually work, according to sommeliers Beyond the table As the second chapter in Hapag's regional tasting menu series, the Western Mindanao menu feels personal, purposeful and necessary. It reframes Filipino cuisine as fundamentally regional—and celebrates the diversity too often overlooked. 'This isn't just about showcasing dishes,' added Dolatre. 'It's about recognising how much of the Philippines we've yet to explore and giving that food the care and respect it deserves.' NOW READ What we lose when we forget our food: this cookbook reminds us where Filipino food came from Where to order the best pancakes & waffles in the Philippines Best work-friendly cafés in Legazpi Village & Salcedo Village
Tatler Asia
06-06-2025
- Tatler Asia
Sustainability and flavour: The rise of fermentation in Asia's top restaurants
2. Toyo Eatery (Manila, Philippines) Named after the Tagalog word for soy sauce, Toyo is the Philippines' most internationally renowned restaurant. The intimate space in Makati is where Filipino nostalgia meets slow fermentation and sleek modernism. Skipping the more intimidating setups of other restaurants of the same calibre, Toyo feels more like a warm family dinner than a fine-dining room. It is helmed by Chef Jordy Navarra and his wife and creative partner, May, and with their team, they've created an ode to fermentation. Take the beloved tortang talong, a humble eggplant omelette transformed by their house-made fermented banana ketchup. Or the Bahay Kubo salad, a riot of 18 local vegetables, each preserved, pickled or marinated to maximise character. And yes, they have their own takes on vinegar-laced sawsawan, made with fermented coconut sap, adding funk and brightness in equal measure. Don't miss: Together they thrive: How did Jordy and May Navarra build Toyo Eatery Navarra taps into local fermentation traditions like tapuy (fermented rice wine) and bubud (a natural yeast starter) to build dishes that feel ancient yet avant-garde. One course might include clams kissed with tapuy, another a fish that's been dry-aged with microbial care. Fermentation in Asia often takes two directions—backward and forward. Toyo, however, uses it to look inward, toward heritage, home and the flavours passed down at the family table. 3. Gaa (Bangkok, Thailand) At Gaa, Chef Garima Arora has found a way to make fermentation taste like a homecoming and a disruption at the same time. Born in Mumbai and trained in the avant-garde kitchens of Noma, Arora brings centuries-old Indian preservation techniques into dialogue with Thai ingredients—and the results are electric. In Gaa's fermentation room, lychee becomes liqueur, split peas turn into miso, and Thai fish sauces bubble away beside jackfruit pickles. A dish might riff on the comfort of curd rice, but arrive layered with lacto-fermented fruit and spiced oil. Or chaat will get a haute twist thanks to garums made with koji-cultured Thai beef. In case you missed it: Garima Arora is Asia's Best Female Chef and the first Indian female to receive a Michelin star Arora's philosophy is less about fusion and more about translation. Her 'beef garum,' for example, doesn't try to mimic fish sauce—it speaks its own savory language. The result is a genre-defying menu that bridges the fermented worldviews of India and Southeast Asia, balancing nostalgia with discovery. 4. 7th Door (Seoul, South Korea) To say that Chef Kim Dae-chun of Seoul's 7th Door dabbles in fermentation is an injustice. Rather, he builds worlds of flavour around it. His intimate, 14-seat restaurant is a fermentation theatre where more than 40 house-made brews and pickles are the stars of a sensory journey. You literally walk past the jars: bubbling, ageing, thickening—an overture to the tasting experience that follows. Kim's guiding metaphor? Fermentation as the 'sixth door' in a seven-step journey toward gastronomic epiphany. Here, jangs—Korea's holy trinity of fermented pastes and sauces—are aged up to a decade in-house. The fish sauce called aekjeot is crafted from local seafood and cured in soy. Even desserts carry fermented echoes, such as soy-syrup glazes over truffle tteokbokki. In one course, raw fermented seafood called gejang is reimagined with rare Dokdo prawns. In another, traditional Korean citrus is preserved until its bitterness turns sweet. It's fermentation as art, memory and alchemy. 5. Onjium (Seoul, South Korea) Not far from 7th Door, another Seoul dining room pays tribute to fermentation in a quieter, regal way. At Onjium, co-chefs Cho Eun-hee and Park Sung-bae reinterpret Korea's royal cuisine with the poise of scholars and the precision of artisans. Their secret weapon? A fermentation farm in Namyangju, where they produce their own variants of jang, kimchi and vinegar using methods drawn from historical royal cookbooks. The dishes at Onjium whisper elegance: cabbage that's been brined, aged and caramelised or soy sauces made from heirloom beans aged in traditional earthen hangari. The fermentation here isn't experimental—it's ancestral. But don't mistake it for nostalgia. Onjium's modern plating and seasonal tasting menus pull these ancient techniques into the present, reminding diners that the best ferments are, above all, timeless. 6. Mingles (Seoul, South Korea) If 7th Door is fermentation as intimacy and Onjium is fermentation as legacy, then Mingles is fermentation as global stagecraft. Under the visionary hand of Chef Kang Min-goo, this Seoul heavyweight has turned jang, those beloved fermented pastes and sauces, into the core of award-winning culinary performance. Here, doenjang and gochujang aren't accents—they're structure. Think seared Hanwoo beef glazed in soy aged five years or a vinegar reduction made from Korean pears and wild herbs. Kang pairs these ferments with international techniques: foams, emulsions and the kind of delicate plating you'd expect in Paris, not Gangnam. The result is a cuisine that elevates fermentation. The message is clear: Korean flavours, when rooted in their fermented foundations, can speak a global language—and win all the stars while they're at it. Don't miss: Chef Mingoo Kang receives Inedit Damm Chefs' Choice Award 2021 by Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 7. Amber (Hong Kong) At first glance, Amber, the flagship of the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, might seem too polished, too pristine, too art-directed to be part of the fermentation set. But Chef Richard Ekkebus has spent the past few years quietly reworking fine dining's relationship with preservation. Gone are the creams, butters and heavy reductions of yesteryear; in their place are koji-aged vegetables, fermented grains and lacto pickles used with the precision of a Cartier timepiece. Amber's menu doesn't scream 'fermented,' but listen closely and it hums with microbial nuance: carrot koji with abalone, fermented buckwheat bread and a much-lauded plant-based bouillon that's more umami-packed than most bone broths. Even the desserts get in on the action, with seasonal fruit vinegars and fermented rice milk redefining what 'light' can mean in a luxury context. Amber isn't trying to be Nordic or temple cuisine. It's Hong Kong high design, reimagined with microbes and minerals. Fermentation here isn't rustic—it's tailored. 8. Yun (Seoul, South Korea) One might remember Chef Kim Do-yun from Culinary Class Wars: a White Spoon chef whose eyes were practically closed as he cooked rockfish while rocking headphones. He even detailed his obsession with drying ingredients, claiming he has the most extensive dried food collection among the cast. It comes as no surprise that his acclaimed restaurant, Yun, is built on traditional Korean fermentation, ageing and custom noodle-making. Chef Kim obsessively sources and preserves ingredients—pickles, beans, grains, dried vegetables, meats and fish—often ageing many of them for years to deepen the flavour. His lab-like kitchen storage with over 500 labeled ingredients (pickles, grains, seeds, etc.) underscores how fermentation and time are central to his cooking. For example, Yun's signature naengmyeon (cold wheat noodles) are made entirely in-house from Korean wheat and served simply with salt and oil. Chef Kim is even notorious for taking months off to study ingredients and techniques. While the chef himself is soft-spoken, his philosophy is bannered loudly in the restaurant, with diners hearing the detailed explanations of the ageing, fermenting and drying process behind the dishes.
